March 25, 2013

Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) also known as bitter melon, looks like a pale green cucumber with bumpy, grooved skin. This squash-family vegetable is predictably quite bitter in flavor. However there are ways to reduce the bitterness (it should be picked when its young) and tasty recipes that make it quite palatable. Why eat it? The bitter melon is full of vitamin A and C. Medicinally it can clear heat from the body and reduce phlegm.

Golden Milk Drink

The delicious drink called 'Golden Milk' can be made by adding 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon organic dried turmeric powder to a cup of warm milk on the stove (cow milk, goat milk or any one of the delicious nut milks*).
Fresh Turmeric Root and Powder

Making soup with bone marrow stock enhances your immune system and provides you with easy to assimilate minerals. The marrow inside the bones contains nutrients that feed your whole body, including your own bone marrow. When your bone marrow is nourished, you create healthier immune cells and can better fight off colds and the flu.

August 20, 2012

Rosehips are the “hips” of roses left over after the petals fall. Rosehip medicine is sour, astringent and holding. Neutral in temperature, they are used for cases where there is deficiency and some weakness in the lower body. Rosehips can strengthen the body in various ways over time, especially in the area of the pelvis and low back.

This is a good summertime recipe because Mung Beans are fantastic and preventing summer time sicknesses associated with the draining effects of hot temperatures. These cookies would be good to bring along with you when traveling to arid regions during the hot season, when summertime sickness is likely. You can try substituting honey for the cane sugar to see if the cookies turn out to have more moisture, which might keep them fresh longer in cases where you want them to last during many days of far-away travels. Experiment and enjoy these tasty treats while you stay healthy.

August 15, 2012

This recipe includes Asian medicinal herbs that are good for digestion: 'Sha Ren' and 'Chen Pi'. We study these herbs in the class Oriental Herbology II. 'Sha Ren' is in the category 'Aromatic Transform Damp' and 'Chen Pi' is in the category 'Regulate Qi'.

July 30, 2012

This recipe contains Goji Berries 'Gou Qi Zi' and Mulberries 'Sang Shen Zi', which both strengthen the body's resources of yin and blood, leading to better health (including hair, eyes, skin). Dark Chocolate also has many health benefits, including decreasing pain and elevating the mood.